Beet topping and pulling machine.



A. C. DOUGLA SS.

BEET TOPPING AND PULLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man AUG-II. I914.

1 182, 1 49. Patented May 9, 1916.

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A. C. DDUGLASS.

BEET TOPPING AND PULLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17. I914. 1,182,149. Patented May 9, 1916.

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A. C. DOUGLASS.

BEET TOPPING AND PULLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I1. 1914.

1 1 82, 1 49. Patented May 9, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

14671155555 [In/5117a! QQKM QM 96 manner in which ANDREW C. DOUGLASS, OF SONOMA, CALIFORNIA.

BEET TOPPING AND PULLING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1916.

Application filed August 17, 1914. Serial No. 857,257.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW C. DOUGLASS, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Sonoma and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Beet Topping and Pulling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improved beet topping and pulling machines wherein incline cushioned wheels operate in conjunction with the running gear of the machine and certain cutting devices for removing the tops from the beets while they are being pulled; and the objects of my invention are first; to provide an improved beet topping and pulling machine having improved means for rotating the cushioned inclined pulling wheels; second, to provide improved means for adjusting the position of the cushioned wheels relatively to the ground and the beets therein; third, to provide improved means for breaking a furrow on either side of the beets before pulling; and fourth, to provide improved means for adjusting the ground breaking mechanism. I accomplish these several features by means of the device disclosed in the drawings formingapart of the present specification wherein like characters of reference are used to designate similar parts throughout the said specification and drawings and in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of my machine disclosing the harrows directly in front of the pulling or cushioned wheels and the mechanism for adjusting the position of the harrows rela tively to the ground, also the mechanism for adjusting the relative position of the pulling Wheels, the cutter, and the plate, by means of which the severed beet tops are deflected to one side. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the machine disclosing the the inclined cushioned wheels engage and pull the beet from the ground after the said ground has been furrowed by means of the harrows, the means for adjusting the relative position of the cushioned pulling wheels, and the manner in which the said pulling wheels are rotated by the traction wheels, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine disclosing the general arrangement thereof. I

The numeral 1 is used to designate a suitable rectangular frame having hollow bearings 2 upon which are rotatably mounted the traction wheels 3. IVithin the bearings 2 is mounted a suitable counter shaft 4 having a disk 6 on the inner end thereof with a bearing 7 eccentric thereto in the said disk 6.

Within the eccentric bearing 7 are rotatably mounted the horizontal portions 8 of a shaft having oppositely inclined portions 9. Slidably and rotatably mounted upon the inclined portions 9 of the shaft are the inclined wheels 10 having cushions 12 of rubber or other resilient material, near the peripheries thereof. The hubs of the wheels 10 are provided with flared portions 14 each having an annular flange 16 thereon and apertures 17 in the said flange 16, which are slidably engaged by levers 18 pivotally secured to the hubs of the traction wheels 3, so that the rotation of the said traction wheels 3 will be imparted by means of the said levers 18 to the annular flanges 16 on the hubs of the wheels 10.

A vertically disposed member 20 is secured to the frame 1 and is provided with a bearing 22 within which is slidably mounted a vertical shaft 23 to the head 24: to which are pivotally secured the links 25. The lower end of the said links 25 is also secured to a collar 26 rotatably secured to the hub of each wheel 10. A lever 27 is pivotally secured to the vertical member 20 and has the short end thereof operatively connected to the head 24 of the shaft 23, so that when the outer end of the lever 27 is depressed the shaft 23 and head 24: thereon will be raised, thereby drawing the links 25 upward and the cushioned wheels 10 closer together.

In order to raise or lower the cushioned wheels 10 without bringing them closer together, -I have provided a suitable sheave 28. Around the greater portion of the periphery of the said sheave 28 is a suitable cable 29 secured to the arms 30 of a rock shaft 31 operated by a lever 32. The wheels 10 are retained in their upper position by means of the lever 32 which retains a strain upon the cables 29 and retains the sheave 28, shaft 4 and disk 6 in the position indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

By moving the lever 32 upward, it will be seen that the cable will be released, thereby allowing the shaft 8 to move downward. In order to raise the shaft 8 on the wheels 10 thereof, the lever 32 is moved in the direction indicated in F ig. 1 of the drawings, which will pull on the cable 29 and rotate the sheaves 28, shafts 4 and the disks 6 on the inner end thereof, and thereby elevate the shaft 8 and the wheels 10 thereon to the position indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Depending from the vertical member 20 of the frame 1 is a suitable frame 35, which rotatably supports the shafts 36 of the arcuate plates 37. The arcuate plates 37 are provided with extensions 38 having rollers 39 on the outer ends thereof, which engage the adjacent surfaces of the cushioned wheels 10. The ends of the shafts 36 are mounted in proper bearings 39, which are slidably mounted on the lower ends of the frame 35 and retained in their lowermost position by means of the springs 40.

A deflecting plate 42 is secured to the rear portion of the frame by means of which the tops of the beets are deflected to one side after being cut off by means of the inclined cutter 43, secured across the path of the beet directly behind the arcuate plates 37.

In order to properly break the ground be fore the beet is pulled therefrom, I have provided a pair of ground breakers 45, which are pivotally suspended by forwardly and rearwardly extending links 46 and 47, respectively. The latter links 47 are slotted as at 48, so as to slidably engage the suitable pins 49 secured to a portion of the frame 1. The upper ends of the ground breakers 45 are pivotally connected to the lower portion of a bell crank lever 50 pivotally secured to the frame 1 and having a connection 51 to a lever 52 pivotally secured as at 53 to a portion of the frame 1 and pro vided in the usual manner with a quadrant 54 by means of which the lever 52 may be held in a position which will either retain the ground breakers 45 in an operative or inoperative position. As the lever 52 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 of the drawings, it will be seen, that the lower arm of the bell crank 50 will be raised and as that arm is below the horizontal diameter of the arc in which it swings, it will be seen that the upper ends of the ground breakers 45 will be moved forwardly while the point 56 to which the links 46 are secured will move rearwardly a distance in proportion to the forward movement of the upper end of the said ground breakers 45.

The rearward movement of the point 56 of the ground breakers 45 will be permitted b the slotted portions 48 of the rear links 41, which will travel on the pins 49. The result of this arrangement is, that the ground breakers 45 are maintained in approximately the same relative inclination.

The ground breakers 45 are placed, one slightly forward of the other, in order to facilitate the ground breaking. I have pro vided guards 60 in front of each of the traction wheels 3, so that the tops of the beets will be deflected away from the path of the said wheels 3.

The operation is as follows: By manipulating the lever 32, the disks 6 are rotated and the shaft 8 with the inclined portions 9 thereon, is lowered or raised to its proper position. As the wheels 10 are inclined, the lower portions thereof will be closer together than any other two corresponding points in the peripheries of the said wheels, so that the two corresponding points and the lowermost portion of the wheel traveling upward will separate until the highest portion in the said rotation of the wheels is reached. As the two given points travel downward to complete the revolution, it is evident that they will move toward each other until the lowermost portions of the wheels are reached. As the shaft 8 with its inclined portions 9 is moved upward or downward, the inclined portions are retained in their approximate positions by means of the member 61, which is pivotally secured to a member 62 slidably mounted on the vertical member 20 of the frame 1, said member 62 also carrying the frame 35 upon which are rotatably mounted the arcuate plates 37 and the cutter 43. The vertical shaft 23 is free to move in the stationary bearing 22, so that as the wheels 10 are raised or lowered by partially rotating the disk 6, the said shaft 23 will move upward in the bearing 22 and will in no way interfere with the said upward movement of the shaft 8 and the wheels 10 thereof. As the machine moves forward, the bottoms of the cushions 12 engage the beet while the tops of the beets are engaged by the arcuate plates 37. As the wheels 10 are moved closer together to engage a smaller beet, the surfaces of the said wheels 10 will engage the rollers on the extensions 38 and move the said extensions 38 inwardly, thereby moving the arcuate plates downward and thus regulating the amount of the beet top which is to be severed and which will be less in a smaller beet than in a larger one. These arcuate plates are yieldingly supported, as hereinbefore described, so that they will automatically be adjusted to different heights of beets. As the machine travels forward it will be seen that the ground breakers 45 will break the ground first on one side of the beet and then on the other, so that the beet will be partially loosened and may be easily removed from the ground. As the beet top is engaged by the cushions 12 and extracted from the ground, it will be carried by movement of the cushions 12 on the wheel 10 against the cutter 43, which will sever the tops from the beets and the severed tops being deflected to one side by means of lac the deflecting plates 42 and the beet will be released from the cushions 12 as the cushions separate during their rotation.

It is obvious that I have provided improved means for raising and lowering the inclined cushioned Wheels and also improved means for rotating the same. It is also obvious that I have provided improved means for breaking the ground on either side of the beet in advance of the engagement of the said beet by the cushioned rims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a beet topping and pulling machine, the combination of a rectangular frame having hollow bearings secured to the sides thereof; counter-shafts rotatably mounted within the hollow bearings and having disks on the inner ends thereof with eccentric bearings therein; a horizontal shaft having oppositely inclined portions and rotatably mounted within the eccentric bearings upon the disks; wheels having cushioned rims thereon and rotatably mounted upon the inclined portions of the shaft so as to bring the peripheries of the said rims closer together at the bottom than at the top for the purpose of engaging a growing beet between the said lower peripheries and pulling the same from the ground; traction wheels rotatably mounted upon the hollow bearings; means operatively connected to the traction wheels and the inclined cushioned wheels and arranged to rotate the said wheels; ground breakers arranged in advance of the cushioned wheels and arranged to break the ground on each side of a growing beet row; means arranged to adjust the position of the ground breakers; and means arranged between the cushioned wheels to sever the tops from the beets.

2. In a beet topping and pulling machine; the combination of a rectangular frame having hollow bearings secured to the sides thereof; counter shafts rotatably mounted within the hollow bearings and having disks on the inner ends thereof with eccentric bearings therein; a horizontal shaft having oppositely inclined portions and rotatably mounted within the eccentric bearings upon the disks; wheels having cushioned rims thereon and rotatably mounted upon the inclined portions of the shaft so as to bring the peripheries of the said rims closer together at the bottom than at the top for the purpose of engaging a growing beet between the said lower peripheries and pulling the same from the ground; traction wheels rotatably mounted upon the hollow bearings; means operatively connected to the traction wheels and the inclined cushioned wheels and arranged to rotate the said wheels; ground breakers arranged in advance of the cushioned wheels and arranged to break the ground on each side of a growing beet row; means arranged to adjust the position of the ground breakers; means arranged between the cushioned wheels to sever the tops from the beets; and means adapted to deflect the severed beet tops to one side.

8. In a beet topping and pulling machine, the combination of a rectangular frame having hollow bearings secured to the sides thereof; counter shafts rotatably mounted within the hollow bearings and having disks on the inner ends thereof with eccentric bearings therein; a horizontal shaft having oppositely inclined portions and rotatably mounted within the eccentric bearings upon the disks; wheels having cushioned rims thereon and rotatably mounted upon the inclined portions of the shaft so as to bring the peripheries of the said rims closer together at the bottom than at the top for the purpose of engaging a growing beet between the said lower peripheries and pulling the same from the ground; traction wheels rotatably mounted upon the hollow bearings; means operatively connected to the traction wheels and the inclined cushioned wheels and arranged to rotate the said wheels; ground breakers arranged in advance of the cushioned wheels and arranged to break the ground on each side of a growing beet row; means arranged to adjust the position of the ground breakers; means arranged between the cushioned wheels to sever the tops from the beets, and a deflecting plate secured behind the cushioned wheels and arranged to deflect the severed beet tops to one side.

4. In a beet topping and pulling machine, the combination of a rectangular frame having hollow bearings secured to the sides thereof; counter shafts rotatably mounted within the hollow bearings and having disks on the inner ends thereof with eccentric bearings therein; a horizontal shaft having oppositely inclined portions and rotatably mounted within the eccentric bearings upon the disks; wheels having cushioned rims thereon and rotatably mounted upon the inclined portions of the shaft so as to bring the peripheries of the said rims closer together at the bottom than at the top for the purpose of engaging a growing beet between the said lower peripheries and pulling the same from the ground; traction wheels rotatably mounted upon the hollow bearings; a knife secured between the cushioned wheels and arranged to sever the tops from the beets; and a deflecting plate arranged to deflect the severed tops to one side.

In a beet topping and pulling machine, the combination of a rectangular frame having hollow bearings secured to the sides thereof; counter shafts rotatably mounted within the hollow bearings and each having a disk on the inner end thereof with an eccentric bearing therein; a horizontal shaft having oppositely inclined portions and rotatably mounted within the eccentric bearings within the disks; wheels having cushioned rims thereon and rotatably mounted upon the inclined portions of the shaft so as to bring the lower portions of the peripheries closer together at the bottom for the purpose of engaging a growing beet between the said lower peripheries and pulling the said beet from the ground; means operatively connected to the outer ends of the counter shafts'and arranged to rotate the said shafts and the disks thereon and thereby raise or lower the horizontal shaft and the cushioned wheels thereon; traction wheels rotatably mounted upon the hollow bearings; levers pivotally secured to the traction wheels and arranged to engage and rotate the cushioned wheels; ground breakers arranged in advance of the cushioned wheels and arranged to break the ground on each side of a growing beet row; means arranged to raise and lower the ground breakers; a knife arranged between the cushioned wheels and adapted to sever the tops from the beets; and a deflecting plate socured to the frame and arranged to deflect the severed top to one side.

6. In a beet topping and pulling machine, the combination of a rectangular frame having hollow bearings secured to the sides thereof; counter shafts rotatably mounted within the hollow bearings and each having a disk on the inner end thereof with an eccentric bearing therein; a horizontal shaft having oppositely inclined portions and rotatably mounted within the eccentric bearings within the disks; wheels having cushioned rims thereon and rotatably mounted upon the inclined portions of the shaft so as to bring the lower portions of the peripheries closer together at the bottom for the purpose of engaging a growing beet between the said lower peripheries and pulling the said beet from the ground; a sheave secured to the outer end of each counter shaft; a second counter shaft rotatably mounted on the rear of the frame and having an arm on each end thereof; a cable secured to each arm and wound around the sheave; a lever secured to the second counter shaft and arranged to partially rotate the second counter shaft and by means of the cables and sheaves to rotate the counter shafts and the disks thereon and to raise and lower the cushioned wheels; traction wheels rotatably mounted upon the hollow bearings; levers pivotally secured to the traction wheels and arranged to engage and rotate the cushioned wheels; ground breakers arranged in advance of the cushioned wheels and arranged to break the ground on each side of a growing beet row; means arranged to raise and lower the ground breakers; a knife arranged between the cushioned wheels and adapted to sever the tops from the beets; and a deflecting plate secured to the frame and arranged to deflect the severed top to one side.

7. In a beet topping and pulling machine, the combination of a rectangular frame having hollow bearings secured to each side thereof; counter shafts rotatably mounted within the hollow bearings and each shaft having a disk thereon with an eccentric bearing therein; a horizontal shaft having oppositely inclined portions thereon and r0- tatably mounted within the eccentric bearings; wheels having cushioned rims thereon rotatably mounted upon the inclined portions of the shaft so as to bring the lower peripheries of the said rims closer together at the bottoms for the purpose of engaging a growing beet; flared portions integral with the hubs of each cushioned wheel and having an annular flange with apertures therein; traction wheels rotatably mounted upon the hollow bearings; levers pivotally mounted upon the hubs of the traction wheels and arranged to slidably engage the apertures in the flanges of the flared portions of the hubs of the cushioned wheels and to rotate the said wheels; means arranged to movablv retain the upper portion of the inclined portions of the shaft in an upright position; means arranged to rotate the counter shafts in the hollow bearings and to thereby raise and lower the horizontal shaft and the cushioned wheels; ground breakers arranged one in advance of the other and in front of the cushioned wheels and adapted to break the ground on each side of a growing beet row; a knife arranged to sever the tops from the beets; and a deflecting plate arranged to deflect the severed tops to one side.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANDREIV C. DOUGLASS.

\Vitnesses H. P. MATHEWSON, F. C. MA'IIIEWSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

